May 10th, 2012

Author: Robyn

Loved the Gary Taubes article Mike posted today. It’s all well and good to identify a crisis like obesity in America and a huge thank you to you ‘anti-obesity groups’ for your misguided attempts to correct the problem with the same tired, ineffective information and methodology as we’ve seen for years (now an HBO special!!). And thank goodness there are people like Taubes to shine the light of truth (and science) on said misinformation.

But even with truth and science and nutrition, gurus and books, blogs and the masterful CFO Clean Eating Guidelines, a lot of us are still struggling with our weight, eating habits, body composition, performance and self-confidence. We have the information, so why are we still unhappy with our health, performance and appearance?

Here is one of my favorite writers, columnist for SFGate, Mark Morford, urging us to "End it once and for all". Mark refers to a report on rising rates of obesity in his column, but he also refers to toxic relationships and other unhealthy situations in which we all tend to find ourselves at times. Mark’s thoughts are worth a read, just because he is darn good at putting them to pen, but perhaps they might inspire you as well.

Mark suggests that we hesitate when we know we should pursue healthy change, simply because changing is difficult.

"Do we stay addicted to our patterns and our former selves, or do we harness the difficult opportunities when we see them, when the chance for change swims into view, knowing they won’t wait around for long, knowing, deep down, that if we ignore them the energy will stagnate and congeal…?"

I submit that you all are not the type to stagnate and congeal – you are the type to figure out how to find your way out of whatever it is that is holding you back, so that you can become your best self. Mark Morford offers yet another suggestion – when pursuing change, jump start your agenda with a ritual:

"There is one thing we know. There is one thing shared across all traditions and religions, spiritualities and yoga paths, status quos and opportunities for change.

It is ritual. The marker. The sign of movement. You get baptized. You get the bat mitzvah. You perform the hardcore tribal thing with the face paint and the fire and the lions. You drop the hallucinogens and wander for 30 days in the jungle, communing with the specters of the gods. Hey, whatever works."

Perhaps this need to ritualize our change is why we like our Paleo Challenges so much?

Anyway, enjoy the column and maybe prepare your own baptism or trip to the ocean to meditate or swear off of dairy and legumes…